A Field Guide to Cultural Differences Between Germany and the USA (Part 2)

Over time we at The German Way have covered the topic of daily life and cultural comparisons between Germany and the USA (and other places) very thoroughly. But it’s a vast topic, and there’s always another aspect that suddenly reveals itself unexpectedly.

In Part 1 of our Cultural Field Guide we discussed A for Ampelmann, B for Bett, G for Geld, H for Handy, I for Immobilien, and K for Kompass. Below, in Part 2, you’ll find a few more, starting with “C for Cannabis.”

C is for Cannabis.

This industrial hemp (Hanf) is cultivated for its fiber. Its cousin, the cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant, is cultivated for its higher THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content for use as a medicinal or a recreational drug. In Germany cannabis is only legal for medical use. PHOTO: Frank Liebig (Wikimedia Commons)

German does not have a lot of C-words, but der Cannabis is one of them. Other related terms are der Hanf (hemp, marijuana) and das Marihuana (marijuana). Germans also use English slang terms such as pot, weed, and grass/Gras. Note: The Germans spell marijuana as “Marihuana,” which is also the correct Spanish spelling! The word “marijuana” is not actually Spanish, but an anglicized corruption used in English.

We have touched on German social values, morality, and so-called “sin laws” on this German Way cultural comparisons page: Religion • Social Mores • Cannabis. Here we want to concentrate on the cannabis part and how society deals with its use.

German law related to cannabis is rather confusing, partly because it tries to distinguish between marijuana consumption and sales versus marijuana production – and because both the 16 Länder (states) and the federal government have laws concerning weed. In the United States, as of January 2021, 15 states have made recreational pot legal. Medical use is allowed in 35 states (plus DC). The only two US states that still legally prohibit any use of cannabis are Idaho and Missouri (decriminalized in Missouri; both states have ongoing initiative-signing efforts). At the federal level cannabis remains a prohibited Schedule I drug.

In Germany the recreational use and possession of cannabis is illegal. Medical use is legal but limited. Germany’s Narcotics Act classifies cannabis as an Appendix III drug, the lowest level. (Heroin and LSD are Appendix I, not to be distributed for any reason.) But… a 1992 drug law reform introduced a loophole called “a small amount” (geringe Menge). You are unlikely to be arrested or even harassed by the police for the cultivation or use of small amounts of pot for personal use. The legal definition of “small amount” varies from state to state. The liberal city-state of Berlin, home to the Hemp Museum (Hanfmuseum), and Bremen (as of April 2020) each allow up to 15 grams, while most states set a lower legal limit of 6 to 10 grams. Federal law sets no maximum, but the German Supreme Court agreed on 7.5 grams. However, the states have the last word.

Driving under the influence of cannabis is also illegal in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In Austria and Switzerland any amount of THC detected in a driver’s blood is a punishable offense. In Germany, any detected amount above 1,0 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter) of active THC is illegal. Violations result in loss of license plus a psychological examination. A repeat offense can result in mandatory periodic drug testing for a certain time, and the loss of the driving license for 12 months. The offender must pay all costs of the examination and testing.

Medical marijuana has been legal since March 2017. But German physicians have been slow to prescribe cannabis for medicinal use. In the first year it was legal, according to the trade publication Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung, German pharmacies filled fewer than 8,000 cannabis prescriptions – in a country with 82 million people. In 2018 that rose to about 40,000. Two-thirds of German health insurance providers now cover the cost of prescribed medicinal cannabis. One serious limitation was that until recently there was no domestic production of cannabis for medicinal use. Supply could not meet the demand. Germany’s first domestic harvest had to wait until the end of 2020.

Moving towards total legalization of cannabis in Germany depends on political affiliation and attitude. The liberal FDP party, along with the Greens and the Left Party, are in favor of getting rid of the current prohibitions. But the three pro-legalization parties can’t agree on the details.

On the other end of the spectrum, Angela Merkel’s more conservative CDU and their Bavarian partner party, the CSU, have long opposed any relaxation of the current law. The far right AfD is also opposed to any change. The center-left SPD (Social Democrats) are more open to a change, but can’t seem to get off the fence. As coalition partners with the CDU/CSU, the SPD voted against a proposed cannabis liberalization law in September 2020.

For now, Germany’s estimated 4 million recreational pot smokers will have to settle for the “small amount” loophole. It may be a long time before Germany has anything like the “coffee shops” legally selling marijuana in the Netherlands. A 2017 survey of Germans revealed that 63 percent opposed legalizing cannabis. In September 2020, the Bundestag (Federal Parliament) voted down a Green Party-sponsored bill to legalize cannabis, even for a strictly controlled adults-only market. The Left supported the effort, but FDP members abstained. The SPD voted no. Several other related attempts to liberalize pot laws were also rejected.

Cannabidiol (CBD)
Thanks to a lawsuit by two Frenchmen, the issue of CBD legality in Germany and the EU has moved a step closer to resolution. A November 2020 court decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ, Europäischer Gerichtshof/EuGH in German) ruled on the import and marketing of CBD products (oils, creams, capsules, gummy bears, etc.) from one EU country to another. The ECJ ruled that CBD is not a narcotic (kein Suchtstoff) and that the French law that prompted the case was an unnecessary restriction of the free movement of goods because the substance does not pose a threat to human health. The court added that, while countries can prohibit the free movement of goods of a banned substance like narcotic drugs, this prohibition doesn’t apply to CBD — because the substance isn’t a narcotic drug.

The court made a point of setting aside EU regulations on hemp — cannabis with less than 0.2 percent of the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — in the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), because CBD “cannot be considered an agricultural product.” Unlike cannabis containing psychoactive THC, CBD “does not appear to have any psychotropic effect or any harmful effect on human health,” the judges ruled.

CBD and cannabis advocates in the EU hope the ruling will eventually allow a legal CBD market in countries that currently ban cannabis and/or CBD products. Currently in the EU, CBD products are sold in a grey market, or as in France, face strict laws banning them completely. For now, what the ECJ ruling will mean in Germany and other EU countries remains uncertain.

D is for DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normierung).

The so-called “DIN-Norm,” or DIN standard has an interesting history. Das Deutsche Institut für Normierung (“German Institute for Standardization”) was established in 1917 as the Normenausschuß der deutschen Industrie (NADI). Following a few other name changes, the institute received its current name and its “DIN” acronym (das DIN) in 1975. Today the Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V., a registered not-for-profit association (e.V.), has its headquarters in Berlin. DIN’s purpose was and still is to establish technical and industrial standards for an increasingly technological world. Currently there are some 30,000 DIN standards covering everything from paper sizes to electronic parts, from typefaces to railroad cars. Similar standards organizations also exist in Austria (ÖNORM) and Switzerland (SNV).

NOTE: Many Germans still mistakenly think that the “DIN” acronym means Deutsche Industrienorm (“German Industry Standard”). This common misunderstanding can be traced back to NADI and its early use of the term “DI-Norm” (“Deutsche Industrienorm”).

Standard paper sizes are something we all take for granted – until a sheet of A4 replaces a “letter size” sheet (or vice versa) when you’re trying to print a document. Paper size was one of the earliest DIN standards. DIN 476 created the A-series sheets of paper (A4, A5, etc.) in 1922. In 1975 that DIN standard was also adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as ISO 216. “International” is a bit exaggerated, since not all nations use A-sized paper. Who doesn’t use the ISO/DIN paper-size standards? That would be North America, the Philippines, and parts of Latin America. Although Chile, Colombia, and Mexico (among others) officially recognize the ISO standard, in practice the US/Canadian “Letter” (Carta) and “Legal” (Oficio) sizes are commonly used. All European countries use the ISO paper sizes.

F is for Führerschein.

A German driver’s license can cost €2500 or more! (Currently a bit more than $3000.) North Americans and other non-Germans are often shocked to learn how expensive it can be to acquire a German driver’s license. The high cost is mostly due to the required driving lessons from an approved German driving school (Fahrschule). A typical American teenager learns to drive in a big empty parking lot or a deserted road with mom or dad anxiously providing lessons. That’s not allowed in Germany.

Although there are driving schools in Canada and the United States, that is not the norm. In Germany it is. Does that make Germans better drivers? Generally yes, but after driving a while in Germany, you will encounter exceptions.

A German driver’s license used to be good for life! You would know people who got their license 30 years earlier, with an ancient ID photo to prove it. No need to renew it. But that changed in 2013. The European Union began requiring more EU uniformity for licenses. As in the rest of the EU, a German Führerschein must be renewed after 15 years.

Only in the last few years has it been possible to get a non-stick-shift license, and do your instruction in a car with an automatic transmission. (But you are restricted to driving only an automatic with that kind of license.) Many American and other expats in Germany have horror stories to tell about being compelled to take lessons in a manual-transmission vehicle with a clutch and five gears.

Do you know how to drive a five-on-the-floor manual transmission car? Could you drive this stick-shift car? Wikimedia Commons

If you’re a fan of the popular US television show “The Amazing Race,” you’ve seen the episodes where the poor American is suddenly confronted with a stick-shift car in some foreign location – and is panic struck. German drivers don’t have that problem. A manual transmission is found on 95 percent of cars and trucks in Germany and most of Europe. You can get a rental car with automatic, but it usually costs extra.

Many Americans (and all Canadians) come from a state with license reciprocity for Germany. But there are two kinds of reciprocity. If you have a US driver’s license from one of the 27 states (and Puerto Rico) with full reciprocity, all you have to do is exchange your US license for a German one (plus some paperwork and a fee). Another ten states and D.C. offer partial reciprocity. That means you don’t have to take the German road test. Only the written test is required. But be aware! The German written test requires some preparation – even if you take it in English.

For more about getting a German driving license, see How to Get a German Driver’s License.

R is for Rettungsgasse

When driving on the German autobahn expats and tourists need to know the rules. As we have written in Driving in Germany and Driving on the Autobahn, not knowing the rules of the road can be extremely dangerous and/or result in stiff fines.

One of those rules (actually a law) concerns the Rettungsgasse, the “emergency vehicle lane.” German (and Austrian) federal law requires motorists to form a Rettungsgasse whenever traffic comes to a halt on the autobahn. This temporary lane runs down the middle of the right or left side of the autobahn to allow emergency vehicles (fire trucks, ambulances, police cars) to reach the accident or emergency that created the jam in the first place. There are specific rules for how drivers are supposed to align their cars or trucks on a two-lane or three-lane autobahn roadway. You can find detailed instructions and an illustrative graphic under “Rettungsgasse” on this page (along with six other vital autobahn rules).

German drivers are taught this important procedure in lessons provided by the driving school (Fahrschule) they are required to attend in order to get a driver’s license in Germany. Tourists don’t get those lessons, and expats are often able to get a driving license via reciprocity, without learning some important details such as the Rettungsgasse.

Sadly, there are some Germans who somehow manage to forget what they were taught in those expensive driving lessons, some of which must take place on the autobahn. There are times when a Rettungsgasse is poorly done or not done all. But that is no excuse for you. Don’t be an ignorant klutz. Know the rules!

S is for Schrottwichteln.

This custom originated in Scandinavia as “Julklapp” before it spread to Germany and other countries. As the name Jul/Yule implies, it is most common around Christmas, but it is also a fun thing to do for club or office parties. The common German term Schrottwichteln comes from two words: der Schrott (junk, rubbish) and das Wichteln (gifting). A Wichtel (der) or Wichtelmännchen (das) is an elf, fairy, gnome, or pixie. The German verb “wichteln” reflects the idea of a Weihnachtswichtel, a “Christmas elf” who secretly distributes Christmas gifts during the Advent period leading up to Christmas. In Austria the custom is known as Engerl und Bengerl (“little angels and rascals”). The general term is “Wichteln” or more specifically “Schrottwichteln.”

There are several ways to translate Schrottwichteln into English. Basically it’s a special form of fun regifting or unloading junk and nicknacks. But the German version is often more like a game or a raffle that has various informal English names: white elephant gift exchange, crappy secret Santa, or cutthroat Christmas gift exchange.

Unlike a typical Anglo-American “Secret Santa” gift exchange, where you draw a person’s name, the German Schrottwichteln tends to be more random. You usually don’t know who will get your gift, because the presents are wrapped and chosen or presented at random. In some cases it’s done by tossing dice or as a raffle, with participants’ dice/ticket numbers tied to a specific numbered gift package. In one variation, if a recipient doesn’t like their gift, they can offer to exchange it with other participants (see below). There’s even a card game version.

In a January 2020 blog post Erin mentioned Schrottwichteln as an Advent gift exchange at her young daughter’s KiTa school in Berlin. The theme for that was toys. But Wichteln is not strictly limited to Christmas or children. It can also be an adult birthday party game or a feature at an office party.

The source of gifts can be your own closet or desk drawer, a flea market, or a second-hand store. The omnipresent “Euro Laden” (euro store) may also have something fun but inexpensive. Some Wichtel events have a price limit for gifts, such as not more than 15 euros.

This gag gift is found under “Schrottwichteln” at Amazon.de. The “Angie Saftpress” (Angie juice press) is just one of many kitschy, tasteless items suggested as Wichtel-Geschenke. Far more tasteless gifts can be found in that category. PHOTO: Amazon.de

Finding the Happy Medium
What’s appropriate for an adult Schrottwichteln event? You don’t want to be too cheap or boring. The ideal gift is a gag gift – something whacky or amusing that will make people laugh or at least smile. If you don’t know who will get your gift, avoid being too gender or age specific, unless it would be funny. What are some typical gifts you might consider? In an informal survey of online forums, these were some Wichteln gift suggestions we found:

• old CDs or DVDs
• novelty signs (in German or English)
• old books, such as Harry Potter in English
• a corny Christmas Glühwein mug
• movie or art posters
• old t-shirts with gag slogans or artwork
• low-cost cooking or kitchen items (tea kettle, egg cooker, etc.)
• a “Wer wird Millionär” board game from 1997 with questions based on DM
• a cake tin and oven glove
• the head of a make-up test mannequin
• a picture puzzle
• clothing accessories (belts, ties, sunglasses, costume jewelry)
• toys or card games (for children or adults)

Four more party variations of Wichteln:

• Aufgabenwichteln (task gifting) is a bit like a Wahrheit oder Pflicht (Truth or Dare) game. You must do a task or answer questions in order to get a gift. Requires some planning and creative questions or tasks.
• Gedichtwichteln (poetry gifting) is a party version for literary types that requires participants to recite or write a short poem that describes the person for whom the gift is intended. Based on the poem, people have to guess who that person is.
• Räuberwichteln (robber gifting) requires each attendee to bring a wrapped gift. The gifts are then piled up on the floor or a table. A person is chosen to be the first to select a wrapped gift from the pile and open it. The next person gets to decide whether to take (steal) the gift away from the first person or select another one from the pile. The game continues until everyone has a present in hand. But it can take while, because the best gift or two will keep getting “stolen” until the bitter end. Variations: (1) At some point the participants are instructed to give their present to the person on their right (Surprise!). (2) The game ends after a certain amount of time.
• Würfelwichteln (dice gifting) can be combined with almost any other version. A throw of a single die determines what happens, adding a bit more uncertainty and surprise. For instance, if you throw a six, you get to select a gift (unless you already have one). A one means you get to unwrap the gift. A two means you get to exchange gifts with someone. Throwing a three means you give your gift to the person on your left. A four means the two people sitting next to you have to exchange their gifts, and so on. The rules can vary, but must be established in advance. A time limit is also a good idea.

Many people prefer these German versions of Secret Santa because they offer more random results and participants don’t always have the pressure of buying a gift for a particular person. Now that you know how it works, enjoy your next Wichtel party!

– HF

Also see Part 1 of our GW ABC Cultural Manual for Germany.